Despite the advancing years, vintage sounds will be forever carved into the music industry. Most of the very top records produced in prestigious studios are created using vintage equipment originating from the 80’s or before. This aged gear is renowned for making music sweeter, warmer and more authentic or lively with additional depth. In the digital world, where most of us do our work on DAWs, this authenticity is missing. Fortunately, there are so many options available to really warm up overly clean and clinical sounding recordings using vintage emulation plug-ins.
Softube Saturation Knob
This Saturation Knob is one the best free analog emulation plugins out there. Even Dave Pensado gives it two thumbs up! Use it anywhere to add some character and distortion. Drag it on your vocal track to add shimmer.
Saturation knob by Softube is a nifty little plugin that can saturate your audio authentically. It’s free and is pretty much as simple as it gets. There’s just one knob to control the level of saturation and then just one switch. This allows you to apply saturation to more of the higher frequencies or more of the lower ones, which neutral in between. There’s enough control to apply this to any number of sources for a pleasant output distortion that fattens bass or adds grit to treble. By excluding bass from the processing, you can affect a drum loop whilst leaving the kick as it is, for example. The Saturation Knob can be used when mixing guitars to get a killer lo-fi grit also. It’s great for all types of instruments and can be pushed gently or hard!
Waves J37
The J37’s Abbey Road related reputation precedes it and this plugin by waves does all the business when it comes to tape saturation and vintage emulation. There are tons of controls to help you really build your track into a more authentic and warm recording. All tape controls are there: speed, noise, saturation, bias, wow and flutter. You can tweak this plugin for serious distortion, creative effects or subtle warm sweetening. It also has 3 different tape formulas with their own unique sonic signatures. The formula’s unique frequency responses come with their own harmonic behaviours, and Waves also added a tape delay module to boot. J37 works well on individual tracks, busses or the whole mix and has tons of useful presets. When combined with amp modellers, you can get quality vintage sounds from guitars. The only thing you have to watch for is CPU usage, it’s pretty thirsty!
Waves NLS – Non-linear Summer
This plugin faithfully and meticulously recreated 3 legendary mixing consoles so you can apply their complex effects to your session. The consoles in question are the EMI 12345 mk4 console, a custom Neve 5116 and an SSL 4000g. The top mixing engineer owners who lent the consoles to Waves vouch for the plugins every function. The plugin has two parts, a plugin you place on each of your channels to emulate the consoles channel function and a summing unit. The summing unit sums every channel you’ve used the NLS on together for global control. The NLS is spectacularly well done and has plenty of flexibility for turning your tunes into something sweeter and warmer, it’s vintage emulation at its best.
PSP Vintage Warmer
This digital simulation of analog warmth really is authentic and genuine. It’s a single or multiband compressor/limiter use means you can achieve anything from soft knee compression or brick-wall limiting with analog warmth squeezed into the signal. Ideal for mixing, this plug-in can provide an extra ‘something’ to groups or your entire mix. The Vintage Warmer’s analog characteristics include an overload processor which creates effects similar to tape recorders. Many bank on this plugin to liven up an overly clean and transparent digital sound. It can be used sparingly, or to apply serious analog-style fattening to tracks.
Vinyl Emulation
The final thing on the list for many is getting a vinyl-esque sound. Vinyl player’s crackle, their warmth and their character really liven up a song. There’s nothing like sticking a record on a turntable. Some decide to just layer a vinyl crackle under their song but this really isn’t the best way! There are many vinyl plugins ranging from free ones like Izotope’s Vinyl plugin to Wave’s Abbey Road Vinyl. The Abbey Road Vinyl plugin emulates everything in the vinyl production and playback process. It has plenty of flexible options – there are two different turntable types and an EMI TG12410 console which you can place in the chain for extra analog warmth and saturation. Izotope’s free vinyl plugin basically ages your records in a few seconds. It adds essential light scratchy sounds, crackles and other analog quirks which can bring tracks alive in the digital world.
Experiment with Vintage Emulation
Finding that analog sound is tricky and experimentation is key. Most music, regardless of what genre, could benefit from some authentic saturation, warmth or other vintage processing, though. As well as providing the sonic glue that really gels your mix, vintage processing can add quirks to your sound which will help it sound more professional and refined, a bit like a fine glass of vintage wine!
Previous4 Tips for Achieving a Wonderfully Warm MixArticle Content
The Neve 1073 is arguably one of the most popular preamps in the history of recorded music.
Originally introduced as part of the 80 Series consoles in the 1970s, these colorful preamps are known for their fat, warm sound and rich low end.
Vintage Neve 1073 preamps sound amazing, but their limited feature set and astronomical price tag push many engineers towards digital alternatives. In this roundup, we’ll break down the top five plugins based on the Neve 1073 to help you figure out which one is right for you.
1073 Design
The original 1073 preamps utilize a very streamlined design. In addition to a single gain control knob, which can be used to drive signals until they saturate, the 1073 also features a three-band semi-parametric EQ and selectable high-pass filter.
The top EQ band controls a fixed shelf at 12 kHz. The midband controls a bell curve with selectable frequencies at .36, .7, 1.6, 3.2, 4.8, and 7.2 kHz. The low band controls a shelf with selectable frequencies at 35, 60, 110 and 220 Hz. The selectable high-pass filter can be set at 50, 80, 160 or 300 Hz. Each band offers +/- 16 dB of gain.
About the audio files …
We put some of our favorite 1073-style plugins through the paces on drums, bass, guitars and vocals with the following settings:
Drums
- HPF at 50 Hz
- +4 dB at 110 Hz
- +2 dB at 1.6 kHz
- +2 dB at 12 kHz
Bass
- HPF at 50 Hz
- +4 dB at 60 Hz
- +6 dB at 700 Hz
- +6 dB at 12 kHz
Guitars
- HPF at 80 Hz
- +4 dB at 110 Hz
- +8 dB at 3.2 kHz
- +4 dB at 12 kHz
Vocals
- HPF at 80 Hz
- +2 dB at 110 Hz
- +4 dB at 3.2 kHz
- +2 dB at 12 kHz
Here are the unprocessed audio files …
Drums
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Drums_1.wavBass
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Bass_1.wavGuitar
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Guitar_1.wavVocals
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Vocals_1.wavUAD Neve 1073 Preamp & EQ Collection
UAD offers “the only authentic end-to-end circuit emulation” of the Neve 1073. The UAD 1073 captures all of the original’s unique circuit behaviors, including all 10 clipping points from the preamp and EQ stages for that classic gritty class‑A saturation.
The UAD 1073 also utilized UAD’s Unison technology, which allows you to use the plugin while tracking.
In terms of features, the UAD 1073 sticks very closely to the original design. The only new features are an impedance switch and a switchable -20 dB pad.
Drums – UAD
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Drums_2.wavBass – UAD
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Bass_2.wavGuitar – UAD
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Guitar_2.wavVocals – UAD
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Vocals_2.wav“The Sound of ’73” – UAD Neve 1073 Preamp & EQ Plug-In Collection
The Neve 1073 is arguably one of the most popular preamps in the history of recorded music. Originally introduced as part of the 80 Series consoles in the 1970s, these colorful preamps are known for their fat, warm sound and rich low end. Vintage Neve 1073 preamps sound amazing, but their limited f
Slate Digital FG-73 Preamp + FG-N EQ + VCC
Slate has a plugin for everything, and in this case, they actually have three plugins dedicated to emulating the legendary sound of the 1073 preamp.
First, the FG-73, available as part of the Virtual Console Collection, offers simple drive and trim controls for emulating the dual-stage red band preamp of the 1073.
The FG-N, available as part of the Virtual Mix Rack 2.0, is a modified version of the 1073 EQ with variable frequency controls and an additional midrange bell. It also features a variable gain control with an optional “drive” button for added grit — similar to the FG-73.
Finally, the Virtual Channel and Virtual Mixes plugins, both available in the Virtual Console Collection, feature Brit-N settings for emulating the channel circuitry and summing characteristics of using running a signal through a Neve console.
*For the purposes of this test, the VCC (in Brit-N mode) and FG-73 plugins were used with settings at default. Drive set to 6 (10 o’clock); Input and Out set to zero. The FG-73 is set to 20 (the minimum setting).
Drums – Slate
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Drums_3.wavBass – Slate
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Bass_3.wavGuitar – Slate
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Guitar_3.wavVocals – Slate
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Vocals_3.wavSlate Digital VIRTUAL PREAMP COLLECTION – Real Analog Preamp Tones For Your Mixes!
The Neve 1073 is arguably one of the most popular preamps in the history of recorded music. Originally introduced as part of the 80 Series consoles in the 1970s, these colorful preamps are known for their fat, warm sound and rich low end. Vintage Neve 1073 preamps sound amazing, but their limited f
McDSP British-E
6020 Ultimate EQ is a collection of ten 500-series style equalizer models, including the British-E EQ, based on the 1073. Although the British-E is only a small portion of what this powerful plugin has to offer, it does an amazing job of emulating the sound of Neve EQs.
British-E features more versatile filter shapes than the original design with three fully variable bands: a high-shelf, a midrange bell, and a low shelf. It also includes a fully variable high-pass filter.
The most unique thing about this plugin is that it does not include markings for frequency or gain controls, forcing you to rely on your ears. For these examples, I attempted to match the settings as best as I could by ear.
Drums – McDSP
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Drums_4.wavBass – McDSP
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Bass_4.wavGuitar – McDSP
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Guitar_4.wavVocals – McDSP
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Vocals_4.wav
6060 UMC Module #3 – British-E
The Neve 1073 is arguably one of the most popular preamps in the history of recorded music. Originally introduced as part of the 80 Series consoles in the 1970s, these colorful preamps are known for their fat, warm sound and rich low end. Vintage Neve 1073 preamps sound amazing, but their limited f
IK Multimedia EQ 73
The EQ 73 by IK Multimedia is a “true to the original” reproduction of the 1073, including all of the gain stages, circuit designs, EQ curves and preamp behaviors. IK have also emulated the preamp/EQ interaction, which “truly defines why this unit was so special,” according to them.
Aside from the addition of stereo and mid-side processing, the EQ-73 also stays true to the original feature set.
Drums – IK Multimedia
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Drums_5.wavBass – IK Multimedia
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Bass_5.wavConsole Emulation Vst Free Downloads
Guitar – IK Multimedia
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Guitar_5.wavFree midi vst 2018. Vocals – IK Multimedia
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Vocals_5.wavNEW in T-RackS Custom Shop – EQ 73 & EQ 81 – Two classic, legendary British channel strips
The Neve 1073 is arguably one of the most popular preamps in the history of recorded music. Originally introduced as part of the 80 Series consoles in the 1970s, these colorful preamps are known for their fat, warm sound and rich low end. Vintage Neve 1073 preamps sound amazing, but their limited f
Acustica Audio GOLD2
GOLD2 is much more than a simple preamp emulation. Vst plugin ezkeys. It includes six different equalizers, two compressors, seven preamplifiers and advanced routing emulations.
The GOLD2 package includes individual plugins for the preamp, EQ and compressor modules, as well as a channel strip version. Each plugin also includes a zero latency or “ZL” version for use during tracking.
While GOLD2 doesn’t introduce any new features to the 1073, it offers circuit emulations for several Neve consoles for added versatility.
*For the purposes of this test, only the H073 module and H073 summing were used.
Drums – Acustica
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Drums_6.wavBass – Acustica
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Bass_6.wavGuitar – Acustica
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Guitar_6.wavVocals – Acustica
https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Vocals_6.wavAcustica Audio Gold2 Demo on Kick – Snare – Bass – Rhythm Guitar [British Channel Strip]
The Neve 1073 is arguably one of the most popular preamps in the history of recorded music. Originally introduced as part of the 80 Series consoles in the 1970s, these colorful preamps are known for their fat, warm sound and rich low end. Vintage Neve 1073 preamps sound amazing, but their limited f
Honorable Mentions
Free Console Emulation Vst Plugins
This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are dozens of emulations of 1073-style preamps and EQs.
Waves have an excellent version designed by the legendary Andrew Scheps called the Scheps 73. It offers the exact same controls as the original with the addition of “a little-known 10 kHz midrange band discovered in the original 1073 schematics but operable only on the rare 1078 channel strip.”
The Stillwell 1973 Equalizer is a very affordable 1073 “tribute”. While it doesn’t model the 1073 exactly like many of the other plugins on this list, it “takes the best features and reduces them down to their essence.”
Unique Recording Software’s N-Series EQ does a great job of capturing the 1073 sound, but it also utilizes features from multiple Neve modules. The URS N4 offers four fully parametric EQ bands, as well as high-pass and low-pass controls, and a gain knob for dialing in distortion.
And that’s just scratching the surface! What are some of your favorite Neve 1073 emulation plugins?
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Their plugin (scoring a cool 8/10 in CM217) is a software channel strip that comprises three separate modules: the full, which features additional high- and low-pass filters plus Gain and Output link;, a modern Pultec emulation;, a tasty FET compressor. Free vst preamp. Check out our video tutorial to see it in action, and get the plugin with Compute Music. Each retails separately at $99, or you can grab the lot in the ChannelX package for $249. For more info on CM Plugins, and find out about.If you're sold on 6X-500 CM's broad palette of clean and dirty flavours, do yourself a favour and investigate Lindell Audio's other impressive plugins, based on their hardware counterparts.
Discover how to make your kick and bass hit hard by cutting (NOT boosting) the right frequencies! Plus, more counterintuitive ways to get fuller yet controlled low-end in your mix. Download this 40-minute workshop by Matthew Weiss, now for FREE!
Audio to midi vst free. Search results showing audio plugins for all operating systems (Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS and Android), tagged as Audio to MIDI. The results are sorted by date added (newest first).